Jurisdiction Clash: Delhi Court Returns Defamation Suit to Mumbai in Bollywood Web Series Dispute

The Delhi High Court ruled on Thursday that it lacks the territorial jurisdiction to hear a defamation lawsuit filed by IRS officer Sameer Wankhede against Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. The suit pertains to alleged defamatory content in the series "The Ba***ds of Bollywood."

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that both parties involved reside in Mumbai, and the purported defamation also took place there. Consequently, jurisdiction lies with Mumbai courts, leading to the decision to return the case to Wankhede for possible refiling in the appropriate jurisdiction.

Wankhede accused the series, allegedly created by Aryan Khan, of maligning him after his son's arrest in a 2021 drug case. Despite demands for injunction and damages, Red Chillies and Netflix contested the jurisdiction, maintaining that the show was a satirical commentary on Bollywood culture.